Dual pressure sensitive adhesive sheet for instore signage

ABSTRACT

A tandem system of metering and donor rolls is used to apply two different adhesives to a fully adhesive backed multilayer sheet to produce variably distributed adhesives and properties. Each of the two adhesives is unique and is cured differently to create a layer of adhesive that has differing adhesive properties on the sheet. A clear adhesive is applied to a top portion of cards before they are cut from the sheet and has a higher tackiness than the adhesive applied to the rest of the cards on the sheet in order to reduce glue buildup on blades cutting the cards from the sheet.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This is a divisional of U.S. application Ser. No. 15/947,953 filed Apr.9, 2018 by the same inventors and claims priority therefrom. Thisdivisional application is being filed in response to a restrictionrequirement in that prior application.

BACKGROUND

The present disclosure relates to an apparatus and method for applyingadhesives to signage for store shelving, and more particularly, to animproved apparatus and method for selectively applying unique adhesivesonto sheets of multilayer substrates.

Some multilayer substrates currently being used for instore signage are13.875″×13.33″, but not limited to size, fully adhesive backed andinclude: top printable paper; permanent adhesive; polymer carrier;pressure sensitive adhesive; and a release liner. The pressure sensitiveadhesive is added across the entire multilayer substrate and then curedto a level that attempts to balance the pressure sensitive propertieswith adhesive buildup issues. Adhesive buildup on rotary blades used tocut the multilayer substrates in X and Y directions into 18 2″×3″ cards,or other size combinations, can occur in high volume requirements, forexample, about every 2000 sheets. Currently, custom oiling systems areused in an attempt to keep the rotary blades lubricated to reduceadhesion of the adhesive to the blades. In addition, multiple cleaningoperations are undertaken if shifts are employed. Unfortunately, boththe oiling operation and cleaning requires operator intervention whichleads to error in oil quantity, timing and damage to the blades duringcleaning.

Therefore, there is a need for an improved apparatus and process forcutting polymer lined and fully backed adhesive signage stock for storeshelving that reduces adhesion of pressure sensitive adhesive to rotaryblades.

SUMMARY

Accordingly, an answer to this need is disclosed herein that includes amultilayer substrate pressure sensitive adhesives layout created by adual system of adhesive rolls that allows the dual system to applycustomized adhesive to two adhesive areas of card images positioned onthe multilayer substrate: clear top edge adhesive of higher tackiness toattach the sign to store shelves; and backing adhesive for the printeddisplay with each adhesive being cured differently.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Various of the above-mentioned and further features and advantages willbe apparent to those skilled in the art from the specific article ormethods described in the example(s) below, and the claims. Thus, theywill be better understood from this description of these specificembodiment(s), including the drawing figures (which are approximately toscale) wherein:

FIG. 1 is a front view of a polymer lined fully backed adhesive storesignage multilayer substrate with indicia thereon;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of an XY slitting system that slits multilayersubstrates into individual cards; and

FIG. 3 is an isometric view of a dual tandem system in accordance withthe present disclosure that applies two zones of differently curedpressure sensitive adhesives to multilayer substrates.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

For a general understanding of the features of the disclosure, referenceis made to the drawings. In the drawings, like reference numerals havebeen used throughout to identify identical elements.

In accordance with the present disclosure, a front view illustration ofa multilayer substrate 10 is shown in FIG. 1 that includes paper 13 onwhich sales strip images of several cards are printed, a permanentadhesive (not shown), a clear polymer carrier 14 that adds strength tothe substrate, a pressure sensitive adhesive (not shown) and a releaseliner (not shown). The sales strip images on paper 13 are configured tonot extend into predetermined areas of clear polymer 14 in order toallow that portion of clear polymer 14 to be used for attaching to storeshelving. The multilayer substrates 10 are cut into individual cards asshown in FIG. 2 where sheets 10 are conveyed from a conventional printer11 onto a first table of cylindrical rollers 20 and into conventionalcutter 30 that includes rotary blades that are moved into grooves in astationary rotating member for engagement with substrate 10 of FIG. 1orthogonal to a lengthwise dimension of the substrate. The substratesare then conveyed onto a second conveyor with cylindrical rollers 22that conveys the substrates into a second conventional cutter 40 whichincludes stationary rotating blades positioned to extend into a groovein a mating member in order to cut through the bottom of the substrate10 in-line with a lengthwise dimension of the substrate and theresulting separate cards 12 from the cutting are then forwarded intoseparate bins at collection station 50.

The configuration of multilayer substrate 10 in FIG. 1 reduces adhesionof pressure sensitive adhesive to rotary blades of cutters 30 and 40 byfacilitating adhesives on the substrate to be customized across thesubstrate and to be optimized for individual functions. As shown in FIG.3, a multiple pressure sensitive adhesive layout on multilayer substrate101 is accomplished with a dual tandem system 100 that includes ametering roll 102 for applying sign backing adhesive from sump 104 ontodonor roll 106 which is in contact with a transfer roll 108 that in turnapplies the backing adhesive onto a web fed substrate 101. Transfer roll108 is driven by drive rolls 110. Donor roll 106 applies a low tackadhesive to a portion of multilayer substrate 100 is a sign backingadhesive that will subsequently adhere to paper 13. Drive rolls 110continue conveying multilayer substrate 101 into a second and high tackadhesive application that includes an adhesive sump 120 which presents ahigh tack adhesive to metering roll 122 that in turn deposits it onto adonor roll 124 that contacts transfer roll 126 for applying to portionsof substrate 101 that corresponds to clear top 14 portions of themultilayer substrates 10 in FIG. 1. The raised rings 125 and 127 ondonor rolls 106 and 124, respectively, correspond to the width of paperportions 13 and clear polymer carrier portions 14 of individual cardspositioned on multilayer substrates 10. Thus, an adhesive system isshown that uses a tandem system of donor rolls that allow for theapplication of differing adhesives to specific zones of continuous feedmedia 101 during a converting process. A converting process being theprocess of taking rolls of paper or other material and adding layers ofother material to include multiple layers including adhesives and orliners. Further processes may also be included that remove or alter theroll to add lists, perforations or cut sheets from the roll. Eachadhesive is then exposed to the appropriate curing process (i.e., air,heat, UV, etc.) to create multilayer substrate 10 that has two or moreadhesive zones with varying cures and adhesive properties thatfacilitate differing adhesive properties across a substrate whilelimiting exposure of blades in cutters 30 and 40 to the high tackyadhesives.

In recapitulation, a method and apparatus for producing a dual pressuresensitive adhesive sheet for in-store signage having cards thereon thatincludes providing a clear top portion of each card with an adhesivethat is cured to be tacky and flexible for adhesion to store shelveswhile the rest of the backer sheet has an adhesive that is cured toprovide adhesion to the backer sheet, but does not require the flexibletackiness needed to hold a card to a shelf. A backer sheet often calledthe carrier can be a material such as PET—Polyethylene Terephthalate.This is the layer or sheet that allows for a permanent type adhesive onone side to attach the written label and for the pressure sensitiveadhesive on the other side to a allow the label to adhere to a shelf andto hold the remaining release liner secure to carrier or backer. Withthis use of multiple adhesives, the cutting/slitting blades no longerhave to cut through an entire sheet of highly tacky adhesive thatquickly build up on the blades. The tacky adhesive can be applied andfocused only on a small percentage of the entire sheet and only wherethat adhesive property is required. This reduces cutter blade exposureto tacky adhesives and proportionally reduces the adhesive buildup onthe cutter blades, and thus, reduces cleaning and oiling requirements.

The claims, as originally presented and as they may be amended,encompass variations, alternatives, modifications, improvements,equivalents, and substantial equivalents of the embodiments andteachings disclosed herein, including those that are presentlyunforeseen or unappreciated, and that, for example, may arise fromapplicants/patentees and others. Unless specifically recited in a claim,steps or components of claims should not be implied or imported from thespecification or any other claims as to any particular order, number,position, size, shape, angle, color, or material.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method for applying a dual pressure sensitiveadhesives to individual portions of media, comprising: providing mediafor receiving dual pressure sensitive adhesives thereon, said mediaincluding paper portions and clear polymer carrier portions; providingdrive rolls for conveying said media to a downstream location; providinga pair of transfer rolls forming nips with said drive rolls forconveying said media to said downstream location; providing a pair ofsumps with each holding a pressure sensitive adhesive of a differenttackiness; providing a pair of rotatable cylinders with a portion ofeach extending into said pair of sumps, said pair of rotatable cylindersbeing adapted to pick up pressure sensitive adhesives from said pair ofsumps; providing a pair of donor rolls mating with said pair ofrotatable cylinder members with said pair of donor rolls being adaptedpickup said pressure sensitive adhesives from said pair of rotatablecylinders, and wherein said pair of donor rolls includes surroundingraised rings corresponding to the width of said paper portions and saidclear polymer carrier portions of said media, respectively; andproviding a pair of transfer rolls adapted to transfer said pressuresensitive adhesives from said pair of donor rolls to said media.
 2. Themethod of claim 1, including configuring said raised rings on said pairof donor rolls to be different to effect a non-overlapping applicationof said pressure sensitive adhesives to said media.
 3. The method ofclaim 1, including providing a first of said pair of donor rolls with araised rings of a first width and providing a second of said of saidpair of donor rolls with raised rings of a second width to effectnon-overlapping application of pressure sensitive adhesives to saidmedia.
 4. The method of claim 3, including providing a first pressuresensitive adhesive in one of said pair of sumps.
 5. The method of claim4, including providing a second and different pressure sensitiveadhesive in the other of said pair of sumps.
 6. The method of claim 5,including applying said first pressure sensitive adhesive to said paperportions of said media.
 7. The method of claim 6, including applyingsaid second pressure sensitive adhesive to said clear polymer carrierportions of said media.
 8. The method of claim 7, including providingsaid first pressure sensitive adhesive with a first adhesion.
 9. Themethod of claim 8, including providing said second pressure sensitiveadhesive with a different adhesion from said first adhesion.
 10. Themethod of claim 9, including positioning a first of said pair of sumpswith said first pressure sensitive adhesive upstream of the second ofsaid pair of sumps.
 11. A method for applying a different pressuresensitive adhesives to predetermined portions of substrates, comprising:providing substrates for receiving pressure sensitive adhesives thereon,said substrates including separate paper and clear polymer carrierportions; providing drive rolls for conveying said media to receive saidpressure sensitive adhesives; providing first and second transfer rollsforming nips with said drive rolls for conveying said substrates toreceive said pressure sensitive adhesives; providing first and secondsumps with each holding a pressure sensitive adhesive; providing a firstand second rotatable cylinders having a portion of each extending intosaid pair of sumps, said first and second rotatable cylinders beingconfigured to pick up pressure sensitive adhesives from said first andsecond sumps; providing first and second of donor rolls mating with saidfirst and second rotatable cylinders with said first and second donorrolls being adapted pick up pressure sensitive adhesives from said firstand second rotatable cylinders; providing said first and second donorrolls with raised rings corresponding to a width of said paper portionsand said clear polymer carrier portions of said substrates,respectively; and providing first and second transfer rolls adapted totransfer said pressure sensitive adhesives from said first and seconddonor rolls to said substrates.
 12. The method of claim 11, includingconfiguring said raised rings on said first and second donor rolls to bedifferent to effect a non-overlapping application of said adhesives tosaid substrates.
 13. The method of claim 11, including providing saidfirst of said donor rolls with raised rings of a first width andproviding said second of said of said donor rolls with raised rings of asecond width to effect non-overlapping application of pressure sensitiveadhesives to said substrates.
 14. The method of claim 13, includingproviding a first pressure sensitive adhesive in said first sump. 15.The method of claim 14, including providing a second and differentpressure sensitive adhesive in said second sump.
 16. The method of claim15, including applying said first pressure sensitive adhesive to saidpaper portions of said substrates.
 17. The method of claim 16, includingapplying said second pressure sensitive adhesive to said clear polymercarrier portions of said media.
 18. The method of claim 17, includingproviding said first pressure sensitive adhesive with a first adhesion.19. The method of claim 18, including providing said second pressuresensitive adhesive with an adhesion different from said first adhesion.20. The method of claim 19, including positioning said first sumpupstream of said second sump.